The Speedo 23/10/06 - 30/10/06

NOVEMBER CLUBS ARE COMING

Hello again everybody...

So, this October we've had pub club, rock club, film club and Lee's New York Lecture. We're planning more activities for November (Pub Club again, comedy club etc), but as always, we'd like to hear your ideas and suggestions. In December we are planning a 'ski club' so we will organise a weekend to go skiing (maybe to Czarna Gora - or let us know if there's anywhere else you like!) Keep looking for posters and checking the Blog!



Phrases and Sayings #2399985 - 'to be pigeon-holed'

As you may know, a pigeon is a bird which we can use for racing or for carrying messages and letters to people (in the old days!*) There are not that many pigeons in Wroclaw but if you go to London or Venice there are millions! Some people call pigeons 'rats with wings' because they can carry illnesses to animals and people, like rats.

Anyway, when we keep pigeons we put them in a building with a wall that has lots of holes in it - 'pigeon holes' - Each bird has its own hole and the owner puts it back in this hole after a race or the bird flies back to it naturally.

In English, we use the term pigeon holed to mean that we put a person, or think of a person as being in one category or group (one 'pigeon hole') This is not always a good thing. Perhaps at work you are good with computers, good with people and good at making tea and coffee. If your boss 'pigeon holes' you as the man/woman who makes good coffee then you will probably have to do this all the time and you won't get chance to do the other things... if we get 'pigeon holed' it is often very difficult to change people's ideas about us.

ALSO - In an office, a 'pigeon hole' is a place to put letters, with each hole having a different name on it for each person who works in the office

(* also see Jim Jarmusch film: Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai - good film!)


A LOOK AT CHUCK



Following last week's 'word of the week' (Leather), The Speedo brings to you a fantastic picture of chuck norris in a leather 'bodywarmer' (like a jacket but with no arm parts) and one leather glove. I expect to see this fashion spreading amongst Callan students and teachers over the next few weeks!


"Despite popular beliefs, America is not a democracy, it is a Chucktatorship."



Idiom of the Week # 346671

"DON'T COUNT YOUR CHICKENS BEFORE THEY HATCH!"

This is a very popular little idiom that means we should not make plans for the future when we cannot be sure or certain that some things will happen.

The meaning of the verb 'hatch' is when an egg breaks and a bird or reptile comes out.

So if we have three eggs (see picture) we should not expect three chickens - one might be dead!

Dean: "I've bought train tickets to go skiing in the mountains at the weekend!"

Lynsey: "But Dean! It might not snow! Don't count your chickens before they hatch!"

CELEBRITY / TEACHER LOOK-ALIKE

THE FIRST CELEBRITY LOOK-ALIKE THIS YEAR - DO ANY OF YOUR TEACHER's LOOK LIKE 'FIGHT CLUB' AND 'AMERICAN HISTORY X' STAR, EDWARD NORTON? IF THE ANSWER IS YES THEN SAY TO THE TEACHER YOU THINK IT IS, IN THE NEXT LESSON "YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB!"